.36 small game rifle

[JJohnson2023]

After much deliberation I think I have my eyes set on an investarms Santa Fe hawken in .36 cal as a new small game/varmint rifle. Primarily for squirrel and rabbit with a round ball. I'd love to hear peoples experiences and opinions on .36 cal for hunting, and especially your thoughts on this particular model or general thoughts on investarms quality and reliability. I've managed to find a couple threads about .36 cal hunting and one on this rifle, but more info is always appreciated. Watch your top knots.

 

[AlexB]

Got one for the wife and she loves it.
Shoots very nice at 50 yards with 30 grains and a .35 patched ball.
A couple minor finish issues but functions perfectly.

 

[Grimord]

I like the .36 for late season squirrels and snow shoe hares. It has more range and umph. I have taken several called in coyotes with the .36. Out to 50 yards it does the job well with well placed shots.

 

[snakebit]

I have a Pedersoli Frontier in .36. haven't shot it enough to go after living critters yet, but what I've seen so far, Im impressed. Gives me more range than my .32's. 35 grns., .018 ticking patch and a .350 swagged RB seems to work really well.

 

[Spikebuck]

I have had two .36 cal small game rifles. First was a Pedersoli Frontier. My second is a Kibler Southern Mtn. Both great shooters.

.36 is more than you need for squirrels. I really think my .32 Crockett was better suited as it was "more gentle" on squirrel meat if there was a body hit...rather similar to a 22LR, IMO.

I like a .36 for a little more flexibility in case coyotes are hunted. It's a little easier to handle the larger ball in cold weather. Head shots are good...a .36 can do a pretty thorough decapitation.

Both calibers are good choices, but there were a few advantages I saw in the .36, so I don't think you can go wrong with it as a small game caliber.

 

[ETipp]

View attachment 370220
Got one for the wife and she loves it.
Shoots very nice at 50 yards with 30 grains and a .35 patched ball.
A couple minor finish issues but functions perfectly.

What are your average size groups at 50 yards?

 

[ETipp]

I have had two .36 cal small game rifles. First was a Pedersoli Frontier. My second is a Kibler Southern Mtn. Both great shooters.

.36 is more than you need for squirrels. I really think my .32 Crockett was better suited as it was "more gentle" on squirrel meat if there was a body hit...rather similar to a 22LR, IMO.

I like a .36 for a little more flexibility in case coyotes are hunted. It's a little easier to handle the larger ball in cold weather. Head shots are good...a .36 can do a pretty thorough decapitation.

Both calibers are good choices, but there were a few advantages I saw in the .36, so I don't think you can go wrong with it as a small game caliber.

I'm considering either a .36 or a .40. What are your average size groups out to 50 yards?

 

[AlexB]

What are your average size groups at 50 yards?

I get 3 touching off a rest easily.

 

[ETipp]

I get 3 touching off a rest easily.

Thank You.

 

[Spikebuck]

I'm considering either a .36 or a .40. What are your average size groups out to 50 yards?

I've also owned one .40. It was one of Roundball's rifles I bought when he was reducing his herd. Using 70 grs 3F, a .390 ball with a .018 pillow tick patch w/mink oil (which was a very tight load in that rifle), it was the most accurate I have ever owned. It all but stacked PRBs at 50 yards, bench rested solidly in my Caldwell Lead Sled. If I was a target shooter, I'd still have that rifle. As a hunter, I didn't have a use for it. It fit the mininum legal deer caliber in MN, so squirrel hunting with it during open gun seasons when my deer tag was filled was out of the question as wardens would assume I am deer hunting. While I could have used it for deer, I like my .54s too much for that. Being red/green color blind, I need all the blood I can get on the ground.

My .36 Frontier (percussion) liked 25 grs of 3F T7, while my Kibler likes 35 grs 3F Swiss. Both a .350 ball with a pillow tick mink oil patch. Bench rested, both were/are sub 1" out to 50, so still 'minute of squirrel head' accuracy. Of course I only wish I could be that accurate in the field offhand or even resting on a tree or my knees sitting!

I don't think you can go wrong with either, but I also think both are more than needed for tree rats. I really debated with myself on the Kibler in .32 vs .36. As a dedicated squirrel or rabbit rifle, a .32 is hard to beat.

I will add that I've used my .62 smooth rifle with shot the most for small game over the years. Yeah...I'm picking out some shot while cleaning game, but that gun just delivers out to 25 yards...even to 30 on occasion...on squirrels and rabbits. Offhand...no issues. I've even taken some on the run on tree limbs. Plus, it's a great turkey gun in the spring! As I've said before...if I could only have one gun, it would be my smooth rifle.

 

[yellowhammer]

...my Kibler likes 35 grs 3F Swiss. Both a .350 ball with a pillow tick mink oil patch...

My exact accuracy node load w/my Kibler .36.

2 other guys report same accuracy load. Case closed

I ain't stacking cloverleafs like y'all at 50 yds though w/old man eyes of mine dang it...

 

[Spikebuck]

My exact accuracy node load w/my Kibler .36.

2 other guys report same accuracy load. Case closed

I ain't stacking cloverleafs like y'all at 50 yds though w/old man eyes of mine dang it...

I started load workup at 20 grs hoping it would like less powder, but no dice. It came together with a pretty darned good group at 30 grs and I almost stopped there, but the "magic" happened at 35. It's an incredible shooter and I'm pretty sure its my eyes that don't get me a single hole at 50. The bench works wonderfully to take out most deviation, but I still have to re-aim each shot.

 

[yellowhammer]

Coming from the unmentionable target world, I have concluded these whippy long ml barrels are much more dependent on finding the barrel resonance accuracy node load:

 

[Des52]

I have two .36s a flint Frontier and a Tradition percussion and have no complaints about either. The Pedersoli Frontier likes 25grs of 3F, a .345 prb with mink oil. The Tradition likes 30grs of 3F, a .350 prb with TOTW mink oil.

 

[ETipp]

I've also owned one .40. It was one of Roundball's rifles I bought when he was reducing his herd. Using 70 grs 3F, a .390 ball with a .018 pillow tick patch w/mink oil (which was a very tight load in that rifle), it was the most accurate I have ever owned. It all but stacked PRBs at 50 yards, bench rested solidly in my Caldwell Lead Sled. If I was a target shooter, I'd still have that rifle. As a hunter, I didn't have a use for it. It fit the mininum legal deer caliber in MN, so squirrel hunting with it during open gun seasons when my deer tag was filled was out of the question as wardens would assume I am deer hunting. While I could have used it for deer, I like my .54s too much for that. Being red/green color blind, I need all the blood I can get on the ground.

My .36 Frontier (percussion) liked 25 grs of 3F T7, while my Kibler likes 35 grs 3F Swiss. Both a .350 ball with a pillow tick mink oil patch. Bench rested, both were/are sub 1" out to 50, so still 'minute of squirrel head' accuracy. Of course I only wish I could be that accurate in the field offhand or even resting on a tree or my knees sitting!

I don't think you can go wrong with either, but I also think both are more than needed for tree rats. I really debated with myself on the Kibler in .32 vs .36. As a dedicated squirrel or rabbit rifle, a .32 is hard to beat.

I will add that I've used my .62 smooth rifle with shot the most for small game over the years. Yeah...I'm picking out some shot while cleaning game, but that gun just delivers out to 25 yards...even to 30 on occasion...on squirrels and rabbits. Offhand...no issues. I've even taken some on the run on tree limbs. Plus, it's a great turkey gun in the spring! As I've said before...if I could only have one gun, it would be my smooth rifle.

Spike, I'm very happy with my.32 Crockett for most of my squirrel hunting. It has served me well. I find it to be plenty for most of my shots, but not all. When it comes time to stretch out the distance, I'm finding my Crockett does not like to cooperate very well. It can be a difficult rifle to shoot on anything other than pretty much perfect shooters form. In the steep terrain I hunt, that is often an issue.

I actually have two Crockett's. Considering selling one to help finance either a .36 or .40 that has a straighter stock with no crescent. Its to my belief that just might be the ticket for longer shots, especially in steep, uneven terrain.

I'll most likely always keep one of my Crockett rifles.

 

[Spikebuck]

Those little Crockett rifles are shooters and nice small lightweght rifles. Sometimes I wish I hadn't sold mine.

I am very much in up and down terrain as well.

Not sure in my case, but up and down doesn't seem as big an issue as my color vision blending squirrels into tree parts at ranges exceeding 30 yards. Darned color deficiency...it's a plague in many ways to a hunter!

 

[ETipp]

Those little Crockett rifles are shooters and nice small lightweght rifles. Sometimes I wish I hadn't sold mine.

I am very much in up and down terrain as well.

View attachment 370433
Not sure in my case, but up and down doesn't seem as big an issue as my color vision blending squirrels into tree parts at ranges exceeding 30 yards. Darned color deficiency...it's a plague in many ways to a hunter!

You are not alone in red/green color vision deficiency. As a commercial pilot, I had to go have a special test done to prove that I could see aviation red, green and white light signals. I flew with that waver for many years. It’s really more of a shade issue for me.

I can see the squirrels now that I had eye surgery.

That’s some step terrain for sure. Here it’s much steeper. Much of it I cannot walk up nor down. Many straight down drop offs. It’s not as much the steepness as it is how unlevel it is on the hillsides. Kind of difficult to explain. But it certainly makes it difficult to shoot off of trees a lot of the time.

 

[yellowhammer]

You are not alone in red/green color vision deficiency

Yep; pain in the tail for pilots. I had to get a Demonstrated Waiver, by observing red and green lights in person with an examiner at the Birmingham FSDO in order to be able to be pilot in command at night. He told me 10-15% of caucasians have it and most dont even know it or care.

I passed the waiver test, and went and saw a specialist, ex Navy flight surgeon, to see what's up, because I see red and green fine. He diagnosed me with, I think I remember this correctly, Deuteranomalia, not full-blown Dueteranopia. I.e. I see all colors fine, but at low light levels red and green dull out. So, I flunk the dot test but see red and green vividly in normal light.

OK children, that is your off-topic eye health lesson for today...

 

[ETipp]

Yep; pain in the tail for pilots. I had to get a Demonstrated Waiver, by observing red and green lights in person with an examiner at the Birmingham FSDO in order to be able to be pilot in command at night. He told me 10-15% of caucasians have it and most dont even know it or care.

I passed the waiver test, and went and saw a specialist, ex Navy flight surgeon, to see what's up, because I see red and green fine. He diagnosed me with, I think I remember this correctly, Deuteranomalia, not full-blown Dueteranopia. I.e. I see all colors fine, but at low light levels red and green dull out. So, I flunk the dot test but see red and green vividly in normal light.

OK children, that is your eye health lesson for today...

This certainly does make hunting and shooting more challenging at times. That’s the best I can explain it.

 

[ETipp]

Can anyone explain to me why there is a lack of available information out there on the Investarms .36 Santa Fe rifle? I’m not finding anything other than on Muzzle-Loader's .com and one older thread on here from last year, and it wasn’t very favorable. Why no range time videos? Why no reviews?